Babies Born in Summer Grow Up Healthier, Study Says

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According to a new study published in the journal Heliyon, babies who are born in the summer months have a greater chance of becoming strong, healthy adults.

Researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. suggest that their findings support the “fetal programming” theory. This theory suggests that the environment in the womb leads to early life differences that can affect one’s health later in life.

To investigate their theory, the team analyzed data from the U.K. Biobank study—a major national health resource used to compare the growth and development of approximately 450,000 men and women.

Researchers discovered that babies born between June and August had higher birth weights and were taller as adults. Furthermore, girls who were born during these months started puberty later, an indicator of better health in adulthood.

Babies born between December and February showed outcomes that were “directionally opposite” to the outcomes of babies born in the summer months.

The associations were seen with the total hours of sunshine during the second trimester, but not during the initial three months after birth. There were also further associations regarding educational achievements. Those born in autumn months were more likely than those born during the summer to either continue their education past the age of 16 or achieve a degree-level qualification.

John Perry, the study’s lead author, believes that these seasonal differences may come down to how much sunlight a mother receives during pregnancy—a factor that affects the vitamin D levels.

“We don’t know the mechanisms that cause these season of birth patterns on birth weight, height, and puberty timing. We need to understand these mechanisms before our findings can be translated into health benefits,” notes Perry. “We think that vitamin D exposure is important, and our findings will hopefully encourage other research on the long-term effects of early life vitamin D on puberty timing and health.”

Perry concludes that this is the first study to link puberty timing with seasonality, although “more work is needed to understand the mechanisms behind this effect.”

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Disclaimer: The information contained herein is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as a diagnosis, treatment, preventive, or cure for any disease, disorder, or abnormal physical state, nor should it be considered a substitute for medical care from your doctor. On any matter relating to your health or well-being—and prior to undertaking any health-related activity—consult an appropriate health professional. The opinions herein are exactly that, they are the opinions of the author. Doctors Health Press and its employees are not responsible for medically unsupervised activities that could be harmful to your health. Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***. All of the Doctors Health Press publications come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your newsletter, you can simply cancel your subscription and receive a pro-rated refund on all undelivered issues. For our books and special reports, we will give you a full refund of your purchase price within 30 days of your order. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service.